waan5輓挽
Jyutpingwaan5
Yalewáahn
Definition
To mourn, lament, or express condolences for the deceased.
writtenother
How it's used
Primarily used in formal or literary contexts, this character is rarely encountered in casual daily speech. It is almost exclusively found in compound words related to funerals or memorial services. When expressing mourning in everyday conversation, Cantonese speakers typically use 哀悼 or 悼念 instead.
Examples
Everyone went together to mourn this senior.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for 挽, which shares the same sound but means to pull or to hold. Ensure you use the radical for mourning, 心, rather than the hand radical, 手, when writing about funeral rites.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
